Tainted Games
by Shift Hyde
Summary: [Sora x Riku ]The story begins in the Destiny Islands, a year after their return. Can Riku keep his new feelings for Sora in check? Lost o'Angst. Shounen ai Yaoi
1. Chapter 1

¤ **_Tainted Games _**¤

**_A Story By Shift Hyde _**

**Disclaimer:** I do **not **own Kingdom Hearts II, its characters, or locations. They are sadly not my property, but that of Disney and Square Enix, respectively. _  
_

**Warning - Rated M:** Invoking themes of violence, possibly mild cursing, and shounen-ai/yaoi.

**Summary:** The story begins in the Destiny Islands. It's been a year since Riku and Sora's return to the islands. Having aged they are 17 and 16, respectively. Changes? -- No letter sent to them by the king, and peace is a steady thing amongst the islands. But a confused Riku battles inner demons when a close friend blossoms in his heart as something more.

Any questions?

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**-------------------------------------  
CHAPTER 1  
Unsettling Distractions Holding My Attraction  
**

_"That really... didn't tickle."_**  
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The sun was setting over the sea, as it did every day on the islands. After so many adventures, Riku could appreciate the sight. Tinted lips curled in approval as the wind rustled his silver mane, his nostrals taking in the salt-scented air as it tickled his smooth, pale skin.

The scene was almost picturesque. Except... there was no Sora.

A sigh escaped him, blown away with the breeze. Too bad his issues weren't so easily dismissed. They would always be there. Unless he told Sora--

"No. That would be stupid, among other things," he told himself out loud. No sense in ruining a perfect friendship, right?

_'Ha.'_ Perfect. Kind of like the relationships where one person avoided the other because he couldn't face him, and when he did get away from him the other was still there because his mind couldn't erase those taunting images.

"Dammit..."

The afternoon had left him quickly enough, or so Sora thought as he reluctantly tore his gaze away from the orange and pink hues adorning the sky. He would walk down to the beach once more that day, hoping to find some type of entertainment before calling it a day. True, he had longed for his peaceful days back home for so long, but now that they'd come back again he found himself irritably bored. Having nothing to worry about might have had something to do with it.

Feelings of dullness were blown away, though, at the sight of a familiar figure in the distance. Immediately, Sora's features brightened with the prospect of having someone to keep himself busy with or bestly put : someone to annoy.

With a feral grin that laced a mischievous golden glow into the dark blue of his eyes, Sora lightly jogged towards the sitting and unexpected Riku. Maybe, with enough luck, he could finally catch the silver-haired boy off-guard. Smirking he jumped up meaning to tackle the boy if he didn't move away.

Riku continued to stare into the depths of the sea, imagining how Sora would look within the water, imagining how golden droplets would roll off his young, toned body and how his smile would defeat the light of the sun. The image of him rising out of the water, crawling across the sand in a feline manner plagued his mind...

So indulged was his imagination that he failed to realize the creaking borads on the dock warning him of the tangible Sora's approach. He had barely turned his head to investigate the halted noise when the world suddenly went very dark, and his head creaked against the wood.

A yelp of pain and a groan were the first signs of his definite consciousness. The second was the weight on top on him. To his horror, and perhaps to Sora's amusement, he was pinned under the object of his fantasies.

"Wha..? Sora..." he groaned, gritting his teeth.

He wasn't displeased with his presence... Just the fact that Riku was... on bottom.

"That really... didn't tickle."

Sandy-brown tresses obscured Sora's vision a little. His hair had unhinged the moment he established contact with Riku, whom to his great surprise and delight, hadn't moved quite fast enough. Knees bent at either side of Riku, Sora straddled him in place showing no sign of planning to move soon or to let him escape his grasp.

His grin remained set upon his face, like it was imprinted into concrete. He couldn't believe he had caught the other off-guard. Sure, it had been kind of a sneaky move, but he wasn't about to let that stray little fact put a damper on what he saw as a great accomplishment.

"Hey, Riku." Ignoring the older boy's voiced protest of pain. Sora's voice was filled of amused cheer. Still the air he kept around him was informal like this was a normal everyday greeting.

"Hey yourself," pouted the silver haired teen uncharacteristically.

He rarely showed any emotion except smugness or competitive glee unless Sora was around to hinder his emotional control. When Sora was around, he found himself unable to ignore the upturn of his lips, or the occasional chuckle that he would reward from time to time.

Except now. Gazing into those dazzling blue eyes, he could have died if he didn't remember to breathe. The way the sun highlighted the other's Cinnamon spikes he claimed to be his hair, how his skin seemed so warm, so welcoming to the touch, and how angelic his boyish face seemed.

Blood seemed to be rushing to too many places for his own comfort.

"Where did you come from anyways? I didn't even hear you. Did you fall from the sky, AGAIN?" he taunted, trying any method to get that adorable boy off of him, or under him... No. Not_ yet_ at least.

Sora blinked and turned his head towards the sky as if seriously questioning the other boy's suggestion. As soon as he shifted his gaze a hint of anger went through the depths of his eyes, Riku's taunting obviously affecting his easily angered temperament.

"No," He said flatly, giving him a wary narrowed-eyed looked that seemed out of place upon his childish face. Flicking a sharp finger from his left hand against Riku's forehead, he continued "It's just your reflexes are going bad in your old age."

Contently, he passed his right leg over Riku, over to the other side. Shifting he sat on the wooden dock. His feet dangled over the edge of dock,a small smile was tugging at the corners of his lips, which he tried to keep in check from grinning like a maniac.

Yep. This was easily turning into a more entertaining evening than he had planned.

Bothering Riku had become second nature. Being around him brought an easy, comfortable feeling to Sora, one he treasured dearly amongst his other friends. And annoying him? Well, that just an added benefit.

Old? Riku's brow physically twitched at the comment. A single year separated the two, and the little brunette was calling him old? Free of the added weight, thankfully enough, he eased himself up on his elbows, but that was it. There was no real need or desire to move any further than that.

"Maybe. It could be the fact that it takes someone with the ability to focus for more than five seconds to be able to appreciate life's natural beauty." Or those in it, he smoothed over in silence. Normally, he might tackle Sora, maybe even give him a good "tap" on the shoulder. But... well, Riku doubted he could take much more physical contact without doing something reeeeeally dumb.

The younger boy was always a gift to have around, whether it was because his personality was so startlingly unique amongst the droll angst of most teens, or whether it was his young appearance that inspired a sort of inner child to appear in Riku at times... Little things like his smile, laugh, innocent gestures, or hyperactive actions had slowly begun to eat away at Riku's vision as him being "just a friend" and had made it bud into what the older boy could have called a "love".

Not brotherly love. Brothers didn't envision each other making out in desolate moonlit area, or scrubbing each other's backs under a massaging waterfall. Somehow, the chain of events following the downfall of Organization XIII had led Riku's mind to explore other faces of he and the brunette's relationship. They could have spent eternity in complete darkness together, and Riku would have been fine with that. Instead, they had been rescued by the Door of Light and Riku had felt something become rather heavy inside of him.

A year had gone, and it seemed the longer he was around Sora every day, the stronger the feeling got. And the stronger that feeling got, the more he thought. The more he thought, the heavier the thing inside of him became until he couldn't take it any more and would force himself home, away from the other.

There it was again. The weight.

"What are you doing out here so late? I would think you wold be home waiting for dinner," mused the silver haired teen absently.

_'Did he just say I was "unable to focus"? "Appreciate life's natural beauty"? Pshh... Yeah, right.'_

A scowl crossed the ginger-haired boy's features when Riku's words died out. Sora's faced became momentarily screwed up by an unusual frown. He opened his mouth to snip something back at Riku but closed it back shut before it was even half-opened. He thought better of his presumedly rash actions. It seemed like the white haired boy at his side always knew which buttons to press to shut him up.

Going back and forth with Riku would get him nowhere. Besides, Riku's patience was prone to falter before Sora's, and he didn't want to test the only real source of entertainment he had at the presently. If he were to drive him away, he would surely die out of boredom before being able to track down anyone else.

Testingly, Sora drew up his legs from the edge of the dock and cradled them to him. Sitting was being called indian-style, he recalled the dock around him being bigger or perhaps it was because he was smaller back then. Even though a year had passed since their return to the islands, he didn't get used to living a peaceful existence again and he couldn't help but to think what would have happened to them if they had been submerged in that darkness forever. The thought troubled him still. Luckily things turned out differently.

He hadn't noticed he'd been forcing down on his lower lip until Riku spoke up again. Thoughts were driven away by his questioning. Quickly releasing his hold on his lower lip he blinked curiously at the query. A subdued undertone to it seemed to imply Sora's presence wasn't as welcomed as he thought it would be. Of course, he ignored that stray little fact.

"Nnh-nh. They, eh... I, um... left," _'More like I was kicked out...'_ But being kicked out of his own house was embarrassing enough without Riku knowing all about it.

"Dinner's not 'till later." He mumbled almost incoherently as he dropped his voice to a whisper.

Riku arched one of his finely trimmed silver brows. The two had known each other for an unaccountable amount of time. He would have to be blind and, or ignorant not to notice when something was wrong with his "best friend". One, he hesitated. Two, he had lowered his tone to a near whisper--everyone who was acquainted with Sora knew he didn't whisper if he didn't need to.

"You left?" he repeated in a mock tone, raising himself to a full sitting position, one leg hanging off the dock, the other bent to his chest, wrist resting listlessly over it. It was his "mother hen stance" as some liked to say.

"Right," he sighed, rolling his eyes in a full circle before resting on the brunette in a hard gaze. "Either you somehow managed to miss supper in the first place, or you pissed someone off."

Both of those were hard to believe. Riku, being his best friend, had been invited to dinner more times than he bothered to keep track of. Sora's mother never cooked at different times because from what Riku could understand she was on a very tight schedule to keep the house in one piece. With Sora living there, Riku could see why she spazzed sometimes.

"And don't lie, either. I can tell."

"You can tell?" Sora hadn't meant to voice his thoughts but they surfaced with plain surprise on his face. He was visibly avoiding Riku's gaze by focusing on some random spot in the spread of water in front of them.

True, Riku knew him the longest out of all his friends, and thus it meant he probably had a better view into the boy's psyche. Still, the knowledge disturbed him. Having someone so easily read him felt too close, too intimate. He gave the smallest of movements to the side, away from Riku before coming to stand.

Arms crossed tightly against his chest, Sora's expression remained neutral while he wrestled with telling Riku the events of that afternoon. He moved forward on the dock, his the tip-toes of his shoes hanging over the edge. Not being one to overly share personal information, Sora chose a somewhat half-way answer.Without revealing the whole truth, but free of lies. After all, it was fair, and he hoped it would suffice.

"Let's just say I managed to get on someone's nerves." He stated with a practiced smile not willing to get any further into the subject.

It would not suffice, this is what Riku's expression clearly stated and what he would make a point in letting Sora know. Why bother nagging personal information out of the poor boy? Well, for one it all didn't quite seem all so personal. Riku could respect when someone didn't want another person to know something; after all, he had his share of secrets he would probably never admit to. Some things though were needed to be shared.

"You manage to do that everyday to more than one person," he deadpanned a little colder than he intended. He really didn't mind the brunette's antics so much any more; he was like a little brother to Riku. Or more...

"Sora," he started hardly, sea-green eyes searched for twin blue, but they were hidden. "You can tell me you know. It's not like I'm going to carry whatever you might want to say over your head, or like I'm not going to brag about it, or whatever." And he wouldn't.

It would be between the two of them. Their little secret, so to speak, no matter what it was.

_'Great,'_ thought Riku with an outward frown. _'Now I'm talking like Kairi, or something.' _He hoped Sora wouldn't take anything he said weirdly.

"Just don't want it to eat at you. When things bugs you, you start acting weird," Riku teased just a little, offering what he hoped was signs of normality.

_'I... I just... I... Ugh.'_

"...It's nothing. I'll be fine." Sora managed to drawl out after an unconsciously prolonged silence came between them. As he did his face tilted to the side, where he was able to look over his shoulder at Riku. Blue orbs focused on the pale boy behind him, a practiced grin plastered all over his face as if to assure the state he proclaimed to be in. The smiled he offered Riku was not insincere but it lacked his normal cheerfulness behind it. He hoped it wasn't too easy to pick up on the difference.

His head spun a little, it ached too much whenever he stayed focused on the words that had been exchanged a few minutes ago. Sora had never left his home with such a pang of unsettlement. He was lucky though, for his fights with his parents were always few and far in-between, but still it hurt. It might have been fairly stupid to others but he had every intention to make things at home better. And even though sharing his inner qualms with Riku was an enticing option, he couldn't possibly.

Having retreated his gaze from the silver-haired boy, a sly grin of determination glinted in his eyes. He hadn't moved from his spot, were his stood with the front of his shoes just over the edge of the dock. But now he swayed back and forth on the spot, almost dangling of the side. A tint of his normal cheer came back as he looked at the beautiful beach stretched before him. Without looking back at Riku he extended his challenge.

"Riku," Sora's voice had recovered its general tone by now. "Dare you to see who'll swim out the farthest."

His tanned fingers gripped the hem of his shirt and pulled it up and over his head. The same shirt fell to his feet without a sound, leaving his sun tanned chest and back bared. Looking back at Riku with an inviting smile, he didn't wait until the other boy answered him. Instead, he looked away from him and unto the sea before him. Taking a step back, Sora leaped up and jumped off the dock. A splash ripped through the air a second later as the brunette landed in the water beneath him.

The invitation had been set it. It was up to Riku to follow thru.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

Be kind. Please unwind.


	2. Chapter 2

¤**_ Tainted Games _**¤

**_A Story By Shift Hyde _**

**Disclaimer:** I do **not **own Kingdom Hearts II, its characters, or locations. They are sadly not my property, but that of Disney and Square Enix, respectively. _  
_

**Warning - Rated M:** Invoking themes of violence, possibly mild cursing, and shounen-ai/yaoi.

**Summary:** The story begins in the Destiny Islands. It's been a year since Riku and Sora's return to the islands. Having aged they are 17 and 16, respectively. Changes? -- No letter sent to them by the king, and peace is a steady thing amongst the islands. But a confused Riku battles inner demons when a close friend blossoms in his heart as something more.

Any questions?

This chapter has been re-posted and enlarged

* * *

**-------------------------------------**  
** CHAPTER 2**  
** Of Tides and Sailors**

_"...I hope you're ready to lose, Sora..."_**  
**

** ------------------------------------**

**

* * *

**

"Riku," Sora's voice had recovered its general tone by now. "Dare you to see who'll swim out the farthest."

His tanned fingers gripped the hem of his shirt and pulled it up and over his head. The same shirt fell to his feet without a sound, leaving his sun tanned chest and back bared. Looking back at Riku with an inviting smile, he didn't wait until the other boy answered him. Instead, he looked away from him and unto the sea before him. Taking a step back, Sora leaped up and jumped off the dock. A splash ripped through the air a second later as the brunette landed in the water beneath him.

Riku steadied his expression on his long time friend, refraining from cocking his silvery brow at the cinnomon haired teen. So it would seem that he was right; Sora indeed had some inner conflict of sorts to resolve due to some event at home. Alas, the silver haired teen would not be told. He was helpess to help his friend, as he was so many times in the past, up until his accompanyment in defeating Xemnas. It was stupid to feel it was his fault that Sora was wearing a false grin, but... well, maybe he shouldn't be thinking on it.

And how could he, what with the other stripping right in front of him. Aqua-green eyes ghosted over the tanned, stomach muscles that shone under the red evening sun, over the sinewy chest, up to those cherry colored lips, curled back into the most inviting smile, finally to rest into sparkling saphire eyes glinting with the determination Riku would never cease to admire.

The corners of Riku's mouth twitched into his own taunting smirk as he stood, shedding his white vest and zip down black shirt in a single fluid motion displaying his own paler, but bolder effects unveiled to the world.

"I hope you're ready to lose, Sora," taunted the silvery teen, diving into the calm waves below, kicking off his shoes on the way. Of course, the waters were a little cooler than enticipated making the poor poor whimper quite indignantly as his head bobbed up. Shivering slightly as his body near protested to adjusting to the temperature changes, he looked over to Sora and forcibly grinned at him before taking off toward the wavy horizon.

At once he regretted this _brilliant_ idea of his to find much sought of distraction. Striking the water beneath him, he felt his every muscle in his body tense up at the temperature change. The fine hairs that covered the lengths of his arms and legs stood up on their respective ends. Sora disliked the cold, but no more than he disliked losing to Riku. For all purposes they were rivals first, friends later... At least, that's how Sora saw it. Blinking dazidly under the water, he propelled himself up to breathe. It was no surprise to see Riku already there, taunting him, before effectively taking off.

Frowing for what seemed like a millisecond, Sora watched him go and extended an arm as if from that long distance he could actually grab and stop the other from leaving. In turn, remembering his place, Sora quickly went after the silver-haired teen. He followed after Riku's trail underwater. Sapphire eyes wide open determined not to lose sight of the other. _I won't be losing to you today Riku._

No one could have stopped Sora from trying to catch up with the other. Well, a tidal wave maybe... Even though the salt was beginning to sting in his eyes, he knew the pain would go away as they grew numb. He always came up from underwater after a few couple of strokes, to come up for air and to reassure himself of Riku's position.

It didn't take him long to be swimming right behind Riku. He wanted badly to be swimming with him side-by-side but the silver-haired teen had a couple of seconds of distance to his advantage. Of course, this type of technicality wouldn't stop Sora of all people. Playfully extending both his amrs forward he made to grab one of the pale legs before him. When he first caught one of them, Sora pulled with all his might to bring the other down to his leavel. Turning his head to his left side to face Riku, Sora smiled at the other happily with closed eyes, and used Riku's shoulders to push himself up and keep swimming.

So the water wasn't so bad once he forced his body to cooperate into moving with a little more grace and finesse. From sloppy paddling to professional breastrokes in no time flat; that was Riku's style, his demeanor. More often than not, Sora would challenge him to these sorts of things and undoubtedly lose. Oh, up until the whole Keyblade, hey let's save the universe! thing. Lately he'd been having issues keeping his records in tact, so he needed all the leeway possible, like taking off as soon as he touched the water despite the potential cramp developing in either leg.

The teen glanced back once to check on Sora's progress. To his amusement, Sora was still a few seconds behind him. He grinned, turning back to the setting sun satisfied that he was bound to win.

However, he did not expect to feel a cool hand possess his foot, dragging him back that few seconds he previously had over his rival. He was half submerged for a brief moment, and when he caught himself again, looking over he spotted a certain someone grinning. Then he was submerged again, going down with much protest by his shoulders. He wasn't going down that easy! Eyes blazing under the salty waves, he spotted the other and used both hands to grab hold of_ anything_ and pull down with every once of strengh he had and swim on, making sure to stick his tongue out tauntingly as he swam again, desperately attempting to pick up his pace.

For a second there Sora honestly thought he had gotten away with it. How very wrong was him. He felt desperate hands grasp him as he had just reached the surface. He was under water again, sooner than he had expected to be. He squealed a little out of character genuienly surprised. Maddened by Riku's actions, Sora tried to fight it as he was pulled down on harshly. His shorts threateaned to slip but he grabbed a hold of them by the hem just in time to look up and see Riku sticking his tongue out his way.

_Damn it! _Stubbornly swimming after his rival his head hurt with the pressure of being tossed around. He wasn't going to lose to him, he wouldn't permit himself to. With sloppier bigger strokes he fought with the burning in his lungs to catch up with Riku. Deciding to go over the water, he caught his breath. Between taking short, rapid gasps he still went after the other.

His lungs were protesting, and his hair was getting in the way of his eyesight but he still wouldn't relent. With flushed stark pink cheeks he swam util he was on Riku's left side. The corners of his lips perked up as Sora found himself glaring at the pale teen with a mischeivous smile cast across his features. Splashing the boy straight in the face with hopes of distracting him, Sora didn't look back and took off passing the other, towards a unsteady horizon, controlling his breathing with his strokes.

Riku gritted his teeth between gasps of air his lungs sincerely needed as Sora joined him on his left once again. The boy was so persistent! And he himself was running out of breath and energy; once those were gone, he'd be running on pure adrenaline which he'd hoped to use for a finale. It didn't really seem possible, but he couldn't lose, no matter what! Maybe psyching out the poor boy would help?

Looking over to glare, Riku found, was a big mistake to which he would suffer for. As soon as that grin was flashed at the silver haired teen, he knew what was coming. With a yelp, he brought his hands to his burning eyes, the sudden disgraceful movement halting his strokes and sending him sinking into the disrupted waters. He could hear the contiunal splashes above pracitically reeking with victory. Rubbing his eyes still, he squinted through the salty liquid at Sora, who was at least a good 5 seconds ahead.

'Sora!' One part of him cursed the boy for the cheap shot. Meanwhile, the other half made short work of cursing him for taking his Plan B.

Growling irritably through the waters, Riku swam after him with whatever leftover strength he had. He had only gained maybe a second though before his legs' threatening cramps made themselves fully known. Gasping in a mouthful of seawater, he found that swimming was no longer something he would be doing as his muscles twisted and knotted. 'Shit!' Stopping all movement in his lower half, he concentrated on moving his arms so he could re surface... and let Sora know he had forfeit due to reasons beyond his control.

Yeah, that sounded good...

"Sora!" his voice cracked through a breathless cough, water spurting from his lips. "Stop! You win!" Ouch...! He could feel his ego burning... Oh, wait, that would be his legs still, attempting to sink him while his arms fought to keep him otherwise.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

**Be kind. Please unwind. **

** A/N:** _This chapter has been only enlarged for the reader's benefit. No spelling mistakes, or previous context were touched._


	3. Chapter 3

¤ **_Tainted Games _**¤

**_A Story By Shift Hyde _**

**Disclaimer:** I do **not **own Kingdom Hearts II, its characters, or locations. They are sadly not my property, but that of Disney and Square Enix, respectively. _  
_

**Warning - Rated M:** Invoking themes of violence, possibly mild cursing, and shounen-ai/yaoi.

**Summary:** The story begins in the Destiny Islands. It's been a year since Riku and Sora's return to the islands. Having aged they are 17 and 16, respectively. Changes? -- No letter sent to them by the king, and peace is a steady thing amongst the islands. But a confused Riku battles inner demons when a close friend blossoms in his heart as something more.

Any questions?

* * *

**-------------------------------------  
CHAPTER 3**  
**From Fall To Rise**

_"...Wh-what? Why are you?..." _  
**------------------------------------**

_Sora!_ One part of him cursed the boy for the cheap shot. Meanwhile, the other half made short work of cursing him for taking his Plan B.

Growling irritably through the waters, Riku swam after him with whatever leftover strength he had. He had only gained maybe a second though before his legs' threatening cramps made themselves fully known. Gasping in a mouthful of seawater, he found that swimming was no longer something he would be doing as his muscles twisted and knotted. _Shit!_ Stopping all movement in his lower half, he concentrated on moving his arms so he could re surface... and let Sora know he had forfeit due to reasons beyond his control.

Yeah, that sounded good...

"Sora!" his voice cracked through a breathless cough, water spurting from his lips. "Stop! You win!" Ouch...! He could feel his ego burning... Oh, wait, that would be his legs still, attempting to sink him while his arms fought to keep him otherwise.

A perpetual grin adorned Sora's features, his head had expanded despite himself and his child-like humming was testament to the fact that he was really pleased. Savoring the little lead he had gained on his now _losing_ rival.

_Tee hee, can't believe that brought him down._ Sora swam on despite the light burning in his arms' and legs' muscles that were slowly wearing him down with each stroke further out to sea.

His streak was short lived as a cry that was undoubtedly from Riku reached his ears. He didn't question what was happening, or what had made Riku call for him. The tone of Riku's voice was enough to instill alarm in Sora's eyes. He swam back a little faster than he had previously.

"I'm coming!" Spotting the silver covered head, Sora used it as a focal point and swam towards it. Fear dawned over him seeing the other's movements to stay afloat, eyes widening at the scene. "Riku!" Sora's own voice cracked, and he was glad to see the other teen was still afloat when he reached him.

Riku's actions to stay afloat might have been amusing if it had been under any other circumstances but right now they just Sora to the very bone. Moving to float right behind his silver-haired friend, Sora reached out to grab the teen in front of him not questioning whether or not Riku would welcome the rash action. Snaking his tan arms under Riku's, he circled his arms across Riku's chest. He held the other close, worryingly and also quite possesively pressing his chest against the other's back.

"Are you alright?" His voice was hushed, something a little over a whisper. His heart rate had raised significally and it was probably quite noticeable to Riku who he held so close, but Sora wasn't aware of it. All he knew is that seeing a nearly drowning Riku had shaked him scared and his azure eyes were still widened.

Riku hacked up the salty water as air once again made home in his abused lungs. He opened his eyes and closed them several times, taking in his surroundings. He was a good distance out from the shore because he could hardly hear the waves hit the shoreline... He was still ready to have a heart attack beacuse his heart was working overtime... Oh yeah, and he still could hardly move because his entire body was one giant knot. But then... how was he floating?

Groaing, he lolled his head backwards, resting it on... Something. Something warm, and strong. Suddenly... it heart seemed to pulse loudly, sending blood rushing hastily to his palish cheeks.

Sea green eyes slid far far to the left in an almost painful attempt to center his periphial vision. And who should he see, but...

"Sora...!" the silver haired teen physically flinched to see Sora so worried. And it was over... him? He immediately clenched his eyes closed and ground his teeth for two reasons: one, he had just made his bady react suddenly, which, by the way, hurt like a bitch. And two... he had just realized Sora SAVED him. That was a direct blow to his pride, though in the end, he was grateful, he supposed...

Oh yeah... Then there was that little matter of he was being pressed to his crush's golden, muscular, warm chest...

"Wh-What..? Why are you...?" Stammering clumsily over his thoughts, Riku was beginning to confuse himself. What he really wanted to know was probably... "What happened?" Which, of course, did not mean he wanted to know how he had almost drowned in the first place, but why Sora had taken the position he had... and actually saved him.

Smiling brightly as the older teen jerked his head back to look at him, the brunette was happy with the knowledge that his friends looked all right now. At least he was afloat. That was a big scare he gave him back there. Now Sora stilled them both afloat his legs mantain a fair rhythm without hitting Riku's.

Sora's lips settled back into an impassive line at the boy's reaction, a feature uncommon upon his usually cheerful face. What was he doing? Had he crushed the silver boy? He didn't think he was holding on too tight to cause any damage, but his hold on the boy immediately softened without letting him go. Arms still wrapped around the body in front of him, his hands twined together palms resting against his friend's chest. Now Riku could move freely in his grasp. His lips took a pout and bowed shaped.

"I-I'm sorry, Riku... " The younger boy said apologetically his cobalt eyes dropping a little. By the way the silver haired teen's body had tensed he figured he must have made the boy uncomfortable with his bold movements.

In truth he only wanted to make sure his friend was alright, his heart having grown terribly cold at the sight of Riku struggling against the tides. "You scared me there," He said with a quick quirk of the lips. "I'm taking us back to shore."

His head bobbed up a little searching for the small speck of shore to guide him but he could barely see it. However, the sound was unmistakable and he figured he take a gander and go that way. Pretty soon though, the shore would begin to show.

Watching Sora's expressions fall and rise, Riku realized just how obvious it was that he was uncomfortable. The brunette had even gone through the trouble to shift himself so Riku could move a little more freely. Not that he needed. If he tried to, he's probably almost drown himself again.

_Self control... this is Sora, my... friend..._ He inwardly frowned, his mood sinking several levels below what it had already gone down to. But he coulnd't change things with the snap of his fingers like he secretly always hoped. So for the sake of that bond he shared... _Act normal. Or... something._

Calming himself witha few deep breaths as he listened to Sora's voice, so unneedingly apologetic and caring. The silvery teen had a feeling he was going to hate himself later for acting like such an ass in front of Sora... Well. The boy was probably used to it, but still... He felt guilty. Really guilty.

"Sora," he started as they began to slowly move through the wavy waters, "I'm sorry," he said solemnly... then upturned his lips into a small smile. "You startled me is all. I though I was..." He stopped there. Sora could fill in the blank. "I guess I'm just gettin' too damn old for this or something," he smirked knowing very well that he and Sora would view that as a complete and total lie. But hey, he had to cover his ass somehow.

The way Riku seemed to react to all this showed Sora a side of the boy he hadn't seen before. Was he... guilty? _Nah, not Riku. He's probably just startled. _Sora tried to look reassuring as the silver-haired teen in his arms apologized. There was really no need to. Blinking, as he heard the lame ass excuse the older boy blurted out. _There's really no need to lie, either._

Shaking his head a little, Sora fell awkwardly silent. There was not much more he could say at the moment. His head still spun a little recalling the picture of his friend fighting to stay afloat and he was glad he reached him in time. Sighing a little, in time with his breathing rhythm he hid carefully from the other.

"We're almost there." He stated several minutes later, even though the shore was plainly visible to Riku. Putting being blunt past him, Sora was glad he could carry the other easily since they were in water. Had this happened in another situation he might have not been able to carry the other. With the atmosphere being as serious as it was, the brunette didn't dare crack a joke over it. Not now, probably not ever.

The rest of the way was an easy track, the ocean pulled them easily and since the tide wasn't too strong it pretty much took care of the movement forward. Even though Sora could take foot in the sand a while ago he prefered to remain kneeled, dragging Riku along. Once they reached the shore though, he let go of his friend pulling him up alone by the hands. The sun was sinking in the horizon quickly, and he was glad they weren't caught out at sea in the dark.

Moving over to stand just over Riku, Sora smiled brightly, hiding his worry. "We're made it! ... Soooo, how are you feeling?"

The trip to shore was so awkward. Perhaps he should have just thank his friend for saving him and called it a day as opposed to exposing his guilt and making lame excuses. _I'm so stupid. _If he weren't so selfish, only thinking of his one sided feelings for the other, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have cramped up and nearly drowned. And, though Sora hid it well, he had worried the brunette severely.

Riku looked in any direction buit Sora's, unable to meet his gaze, worried more stupid feelings might shine through. Some feelings, he thought, should be locked away and never exposed. He was in this whole mess alone; Sora liked Kairi, most likely. Not Riku. Riku was a male. He was Sora's rival, friend, and partner in everything. He couldn't let some stupid man-crush get the better of him.

About half way through his thoughts, he felt his knees begin to skim sand, thick and wet beneathe the water. Sora hadn't stood, so he felt no need to. He wanted to savor the contact that he could never have. Savor how close they were... and yet, how so very far away the two were at the same time. The silvery teen looked up seeing Sora extend his hand to him...

Riku had done that once, a long time ago. Sora did not take his hand. But he would. He needed to in more sense than one. He needed his rival to be there and would not push him away.

"I'm fine now," he confirmed with a forced smile, bittersweet with bustling unsorted emotions. "Thanks, Sora. Really, you saved me back there. Don't know what happened... I just cramped up," he shrugged, his expression nonchalant and carefree as though nothing serious had just happened. "Want to grab something to eat or something? I'm famished."

* * *

** To Be Continued.**

**Be kind. Please unwind. **

**A quick update there for you.**


	4. Chapter 4

¤ **_Tainted Games _**¤

**_A Story By Shift Hyde _**

**Disclaimer:** I do **not **own Kingdom Hearts II, its characters, or locations. They are sadly not my property, but that of Disney and Square Enix, respectively. _  
_

**Warning - Rated M:** Invoking themes of violence, possibly mild cursing, and shounen-ai/yaoi.

**Summary:** The story begins in the Destiny Islands. It's been a year since Riku and Sora's return to the islands. Having aged they are 17 and 16, respectively. Changes? -- No letter sent to them by the king, and peace is a steady thing amongst the islands. But a confused Riku battles inner demons when a close friend blossoms in his heart as something more.

Any questions?

* * *

**-------------------------------------  
CHAPTER 4**  
**From Rise To Fall  
**

_"...I officially have no clue what to call this..." _  
**------------------------------------**

About half way through his thoughts, he felt his knees begin to skim sand, thick and wet beneathe the water. Sora hadn't stood, so he felt no need to. He wanted to savor the contact that he could never have. Savor how close they were... and yet, how so very far away the two were at the same time. The silvery teen looked up seeing Sora extend his hand to him... 

Riku had done that once, a long time ago. Sora did not take his hand. But he would. He needed to in more sense than one. He needed his rival to be there and would not push him away.

"I'm fine now," he confirmed with a forced smile, bittersweet with bustling unsorted emotions. "Thanks, Sora. Really, you saved me back there. Don't know what happened... I just cramped up," he shrugged, his expression nonchalant and carefree as though nothing serious had just happened. "Want to grab something to eat or something? I'm famished."

You could see the sun setting slowly over the horizon, the day obviously coming to a slow end. Sora would have enjoyed watching the scene impatiently whether the circumstances were different but right now his back was bent forward over the form of his firend, a downcast smile etched his light lips apart. He was in short, seriously concerned over his friend's blunder at sea. Was Riku sick or something? Maybe he was putting too much weight into the situation. It was probable this things happened daily, even to his seemingly invincible rival. 

Shaking his head, brown tresses drooping water all over Riku, Sora dispelled the silver-haired teen's words. "Don't worry about," He managed to say a little too hurriedly. "Really, you would have done the same for me." He continued with complete confidence in his words, as if that would make them true.

Straightening up, he kept his cobalt blue gaze glued to the form beneath him eyeing him as if it was his job. He was a little disappointed finding the crestfallen expression Riku's face held as he spoke, and he wished he could just make the boy smile. Unaware of the inner battle the older boy was having over him, Sora wondered just what had Riku looking so distant on their way here. Was he embarassed he would tell someone? However, no trace of that expression existed when the boy spoke again.

Sora didn't need to be told twice. In defiant matter to the calm face he was trying to keep his stomach seemed to churn loudly at the mention of food. Rightfully so, Sora's smiled faltered for less than a second a weak giggle coming out of him moments later. Well, he had been kicked out for missing dinner. "Yeah, let's!"

Not waiting for Riku to get up, Sora began running away from the beach. When he was almost to the dock, he looked back hand waving in the air for Riku to follow. "C'mon..."

Riku genuinely smiled at his friend's antics. No matter what, Sora's smile would always warm him. And as long as he could get a smile from Sora every day for the rest of his life, even if they went their seperate ways, even if Sora did fall in love and marry and completely sever any chance Riku may or may not have had with him... As long as he could see that smile, he could be content.

Rising to his feet, Riku dusted himself of the wet sand clinging to the fabric of his pants watching Sora take off towards the dock, guided by his deprived stomach, no doubt. This was wht the day was supposed to be like. Two best friends, competing against each other, enjoying each other's company, and generally just being there for one another. Blinking back to reality, Riku nodded, grinning, and ran past Sora, sticking his tongue out childishly.

"Race ya to my house!" he called.

"WHAAAAA?!" The brunette wailed childishly as Riku raced past him leaving him in a whirl of confusion. Apparently the silver haired boy was feeling much better. Not one to question Riku's actions Sora had just been staring as he had sat up and began running. Wrinkling his nose as he followed his speeding friend. By the time his form turned to stare at Riku's retiering back the older back had already left the sandy white beach completely only a faint trail left behind.

"Heeeey! Wait up! Riku!" Sora began running after his taller rival, he could never really catch up with him, hence the 'wait up'. Crimson tinted lips bowed down in a pout as he raced to reach the older boy. But it was no use the older boy had too much of an advantage over him. He watched Riku running in the distance with excitment. People walking the nearly entry streets shuffled away when they ran past them, Sora a few seconds after Riku.

He soon began panting from the over exertion of the run just after the swim. Still, he wouldn't relent, not even when his side began to hurt. As he saw Riku's house coming closer he sped up to run just behind the older boy.

Riku continued at his pace, a mere sprint to their destination, grinning the entire time as people stared in awe at his speed, sand spurting up beneathe his feet to leave an obvious trail. He was, afterall, one of the most talented young men on the entire island next to Sora. So when either of them tried to out perform the other, many would stop to stare at their competitive antics.

His own pinkly lips pulled back into a larger, triumphant grin. That, he thought, was the call of one who knew he was going to lose. Well, what did he expect? Sora had just won their little swimming outting (by default), and saved Riku as well. He was probably still tired, not to mention hungrier than ever. The silvery teen looked over his own shoulder to check on the status of his rival, and to his surprise, the cinnamon haired teen was riding his heels now in a burst of desperate energy.

_'Uh oh!'_ Panicked by the turn of events, Riku turned his attemtion back to the goal: his white two story beach house drawing closer, the blue-painted windows and door just a couple hundred feet away.

With one final burts of energy he had stored away for this last minute, Riku gained a few more feet ahead of Sora. "Hope you're ready to lose this one!" he called back knowing that would most likely flare Sora up, even though the boy ws probably running low on energy by now. Not that THAT ever stopped him before.

This little sprint of them was beginning to hurt Sora. Particulary in his sides, both not just one. But it would take more than a little pain to for Sora to give up now. So with his hands awkwardly grasping his hips, the cinammon haired teen continue to lunge forward each step more tired than the one before.

Sweat was leaving a nice little trail of the sides of his face, and his expression became that of a grinning scoff. He would _not_ lose, not here in front of the neighborhood. Hair swinging every which way, Sora pushed himself overload to keep in pace with Riku. The silver-haired teen's taunt was driving him to try harder, and his cheeks became pink from exhaustion. "I won't lose!" He stated as a fact.

When they were just a few steps before the beautiful two-story beach house, Sora's sandals against the pavement suddenly went quiet. He wouldn't give Riku enough to time for him to wonder where had he gone, throwing himself through the air into the back of an unsuspecting Riku. A second later the boy would come crashing down against Riku, their bodies rolling in a small ball all the way into Riku's front lawn.

Riku heard the other's foot steps pick up in time with his own, hearing the short, deep exhausted breaths closing in on him by the second. He didn't need to turn to see Sora was right beside him at this point. His taunt had drove the teen to try harder, having stated that he would not lose.

Vaguely, Riku wandered, did he push him a little too hard? He must have been tired from their swim, and now he was being pressured to outrun his silver-haired rival under the watchful eye of onlookers. All of which either one or the other knew by name. Whoever lost would no doubt be hearing banter and jeers for at least a week. The older teen wouldn't have that blemish on his record for the world, and neither would his younger competitor.

Just as he was about to win, just a mere step away from his front lawn, his ears only picked up one set of steps, and he knew he was still running. He barely registered that Sora's were the steps missing when, with a yell of surprise and alarm, he found himself planted face first in the green grass below with Sora's weight plunging onto his back. He skidded, staining the entire front of his pants and scraping his torso and arms, then rolled to a complete stop.

He groaned, not moving for a good ten seconds at least, head pounding from running that entire distance and then coming to a sudden halt. He finally found the strength to crack open one of his seagreen eyes to peer around, but immediately snapped it shut because the sun had shot so suddenly though it, causing his head to nearly split in two. He tried to sit up, but, wouldn't you guess it? He couldn't due to the fact that Sora had somehow managed to ride him to a halt.

"Okay... I officially have no clue what to call this. A tie, or a cheap shot that calls for a renmatch," he groaned, face showing no hint of anger, but, rather, amusement.

* * *

**AN:**_ Sorry for the long wait. As you can see I have not given up on this story. I've just been really tripped by my personal life. Either way, I hope you enjoy this updates once in awhile. Thanks for your patience and reviews._


	5. Chapter 5

¤ **_Tainted Games _**¤

**_A Story By Shift Hyde _**

**Disclaimer:** I do **not **own Kingdom Hearts II, its characters, or locations. They are sadly not my property, but that of Disney and Square Enix, respectively. _  
_

**Warning - Rated M:** Invoking themes of violence, possibly mild cursing, and shounen-ai/yaoi.

**Summary:** The story begins in the Destiny Islands. It's been a year since Riku and Sora's return to the islands. Having aged they are 17 and 16, respectively. Changes? -- No letter sent to them by the king, and peace is a steady thing amongst the islands. But a confused Riku battles inner demons when a close friend blossoms in his heart as something more.

Any questions?

* * *

**-------------------------------------  
CHAPTER 5**  
**The Discomfort In Comfort  
**

_"You cannot call my butt fat." _  
**------------------------------------**

Just as he was about to win, just a mere step away from his front lawn, his ears only picked up one set of steps, and he knew he was still running. He barely registered that Sora's were the steps missing when, with a yell of surprise and alarm, he found himself planted face first in the green grass below with Sora's weight plunging onto his back. He skidded, staining the entire front of his pants and scraping his torso and arms, then rolled to a complete stop.

He groaned, not moving for a good ten seconds at least, head pounding from running that entire distance and then coming to a sudden halt. He finally found the strength to crack open one of his seagreen eyes to peer around, but immediately snapped it shut because the sun had shot so suddenly though it, causing his head to nearly split in two. He tried to sit up, but, wouldn't you guess it? He couldn't due to the fact that Sora had somehow managed to ride him to a halt.

"Okay... I officially have no clue what to call this. A tie, or a cheap shot that calls for a renmatch," he groaned, face showing no hint of anger, but, rather, amusement.

A small but unhindered giggle began to flow from Sora at Riku's words. He was hurt too, but his fall had been broken by the silver-haired teen he was currently laying a top of. Rolling to his left side, the brunnette slipped off the older boy with a harsh sounding thud upon the soft lawn. He had enjoyed the run, loving the excersice since he was never one to stay still too long, but his lungs wouldn't catch air properly and he tried calming himself taking in deep breaths.

"The whole thing was unfair to begin with," Sora's expression suddenly turned playfully somber a pout over his red lips. "I just dragged your fat butt through the water... Tired..." Sora's eyes then shuttered close for a second, the blue orbs disappearing from view completely.

Still on his side, he didn't need to turn to look at Riku. He simply moved forward a little, leaning on his elbow. Opening his eyes then, he looked over Riku's face once before exclaiming, "Feed me!"

The said so called "fat butt" frowned, squinting through his silver bangs at the exhausted brunette. Okay, so it was unfair after all, but there was just no possible way Sora could get away with pointing the finger at Riku and calling his butt fat all in one shot. His butt was just, SO not fat. He would know. He looked and found his own rear quite the oppostie.

"Hey, you _cannot_ call my butt fat," he pouted, still making an effort to squint at the other, though the task was proving more difficult the more he looked at the teen's innocently hugry features. "You eat at least three times as much as any normal human being," he stated as a fact, flicking his nose pointedly. Anyone who ever had Sora over for any meal knew this to be true. And yet, he seemed never able to gain a pound. Ever.

"All right though, we'll have it your way, oh Master of Keyblades."

With a sigh, he heaved himself up and brushed what grass he could off of him, observing a few scratches and scrapes that would need tending to. Nothing serious, of course; it would take a lot more than that to make him worry about his health. He reached down and pulled Sora to his own feet and set off inside the house. Careful to shake off the larger particles of outside residue, he dusted his feet on an ancient straw welcome mat just inside.

His house was made up of two stories. The downstairs consisted of an enclosed porch used for coats and the such which led into a moderately sized kitchen, complete with all necessary appliances and a breakfast bar; the walls were adorned with simple warm colored paints and a the traditional paopu as the theme. The rest of the downstairs though was actually quite contemporary; the large living room in shades of red, black and silver. The study, which was strictly reserved for his father, remained plain and businesslike. He supposed the only really creative room was the entertainment room, complete with video games and an entertainment center he was spoiled with once he had returned from his adventures. That room was decoarted with posters of his favorite game characters and bands and such, having spent much time in there when he wasn't outside. And upstairs, of course, were three bedrooms; his, his parents', and the guestroom, which they had reasonably deemed to be Sora's, since he was the only one who used it.

"All right, spoiled, what are you in the mood for?" he asked combing the kitchen for something to eat.

Sora was left unnecesarily rubbing his nose right outside the front door. He was still thinking over the fact that Riku had just treaded over the lines of calling him a glutton or something like that. But the brunette couldn't possibly see what was wrong with him eating six times day. So from the door he called at Riku's disappearing back. "At least my butt doesn't get faaaat!!" Of course, the proof of refuting that statement was just disppearing into the kitchen. Still it's not like that would stop him from getting even.

Content with not letting that one slip, Sora took his shoes off rather than rubbing them on the welcome mat. It seems that would take too much time in his opinion. His shoes now neatly tucked away in one corner of the porch, he followed into the house, the grass tangled in his hair going completely unnoticed.

"Rikuuuuu...!" The brunette whined with a bright smile as he slid into the kitchen sideways. One more thing he loved about not having to wear his shoes inside, he could slide around the rooms in his white socks. He wiggled his toes a little, before looking up to smile at Riku. "Um, anything really.. Whatever you have will be fine." He nodded once, grin unfaltering, and practically skipped up to sit in a stool behind the kitchen counter, watching the older boy attentively as he looked around the kitchen.

Riku's brow twitched at Sora from outside; the fat butt somment was starting to eat at him a little. Sighing, he brushed the comment aside, shaking his head and putting his attention back on to the task at hand. Usually the cabinets were full, seeing as though his two parents had a growing teenager in their home, but lately it seemd as though there were inly the necessities-- most of which he really rather would let rot. Maybe it was because of the arguement...?

About the time he let his mind wander as he mindlessly opened another half-full cabinet, Sora came sliding around the corner in his white socks. He made a mental note to strip him of those later and make the little punk try to catch him for them. Closing the cabinet, he turned, scratching his head with an annoyed frown.

"I'm not sure if anything we have right now will sedate that bottomless pit of a stomach you have," he sighed, turning to open the refrigerator. Well, there was certainly more in there than anywhere else. Mainly fruits and drinks; nothing to make a meal out of, unless he made Sora a giant salad.

No, that wouldn't do. That'd be like feeding a third world child a stale crumb, or something.

"Stupid parents," he growled flipping the door shut and letting it slam a little soundly. He leaned up against the counter, thinking. What would Sora-- "You're getting grass everywhere," he grinned seeing the particles sticking out at odd angles from his brown spikes. Craning his neck, Riku could even follow the trail of foliage where the brunette had been. Nothing like good ole' Sora antics to put his mind at rest for a few minutes. Or at least until the little glutton started to whine again and rememnded him about what he had just been fuming about.

Sora looked like he had already gotten comfortable. His elbow rested on the counter before him and his fist held his squashed right cheek firmly, there was drowsy air around him, like he was prone to pass out at any second. Cerulean eyes followed his friend's movements around the kitchen, finding the annoyment the other felt completely funny. He tried to keep his laughter in check, though. It seemed Riku was just about to start fuming when he opened the refrigerator's door. If he had energy left he would have whined some, but he looked too tired for that. Even so a small grin pulled his lips up at the sight of Riku scratching his hair.

"Oy, my stomach is so not a bottomless pit. I get full all the time." The brunette sighed, frowning a little. It was true enough, he did get full... after eating everything in sight, but he did. The younger teen flinched suddenly when his friend choose to barbarically slam the refrigerator shut. "Jeez!" His teeth gritted a little, shaking his head pointedly from side to side.

He stopped only when Riku turned around, feigning innocence to what he had been doing before. Tilting his head a little more to the side into his hand, he stared at Riku for a few good seconds before registering what the older teen had said. Looking over his shoulder, he surely saw the trail of grass Riku had been talking about. "Uh oh, sorry. I'll clean it up!" He practically bounced off the stool, directing himself to the broom closet.

Riku couldn't help but surpress a smile at how adorable Sora looked, even though it was obvious at how fake the little innocence facaud was. He could act cute and innocent all he wanted, but Riku saw how serious he could get. He also knew of the brunette's little tendencies to do or say things while the teen had his back to him- a playful antic, of course- like he wasn't going to catch him or know already the reaction that would surface.

Riku also caught the look of complete exhaustion the other had flashed a moment beforehand. Grrr... the guilt was back, eating at his brain and senses. He hoped Sora wouldn't collapse; that would suck... Sighing he trattoed after Sora and caught his arm. "Don't worry about it, all right? Just, uh, go raid the fridge or something. I've got this," he said snatching up a broom and dust pan. "Then I'll order some... pizza, or something, seeing as though my loving parents," he said this with sarcasm through gritted teeth," haven't been to the grocery store in ages."

* * *

**A/N:**_ A relatively quick update is my way of thanking all reviewers for leaving me their comments/criticism. I do apologize for the many typos this story is prone to have seeing as I don't take the time to spell check it. It would just take too long and I already have most of my time accounted for. So I apologize in advance, maybe on Winter Break I might proof it, maybe._

_  
Anyhow, thanks again for all the wonderful feedback! I am finally content with the steady rhythm of the story and the interaction between the two. I wasn't sure I could pull it off before. Stick around for in the next chapter the plot thickens!  
_


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